


Counting Your Blessings

by intricate_glass_box



Category: LazyTown
Genre: Comfort, Fluff, Insomnia, M/M, sportarobbie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-15
Updated: 2016-12-15
Packaged: 2018-09-08 16:22:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8851780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/intricate_glass_box/pseuds/intricate_glass_box
Summary: Robbie finally gives in and tells Sportacus when he can’t sleep, and Sportacus has an idea that just might help.





	

**Author's Note:**

> We’re doing an Irving Berlin medley for my Christmas chorus concert, and I was singing the Counting My Blessings part and thinking “Awww, wouldn’t it be adorable if Sportacus sang this to Robbie when he was having sleep issues again?” So I wrote this instead of doing homework. …Also, this is the first fic I’ve ever posted. Hello. o_O

Glancing at the clock, Robbie was, in some deeper, less-exhausted layer, alarmed that 25 minutes had passed since he’d last checked. He knew he hadn’t slept. He’d just stared at the pipes along the ceiling far above his head. For twenty. Five. Minutes. 

_This always happens_ , he thought, exaggerating only slightly. Ten more minutes passed and he heard, thinking for a second it was from the original source, Sportacus’s voice in his mind - _“You can let me know when you can’t sleep, Robbie… I know, I always go to bed at 8:08, but I… I could keep you company, at least. I’d just take a nap later!”_

“Absolutely unnecessary,” he’d said, scoffing, and now thought again - _absolutely unnecessary_ \- in just the same tone of voice. …Then, though, he thought some _more_ about how talking to someone (even if it had to be Sportakook) might get him thinking _less_ , and he could maybe go to sleep. About how nothing ever worked before, and how he hadn’t tried this before… which meant it could possibly work. Definitely NOT about how he liked when Sportacus showed care for him. He didn’t think about that. 

Robbie let eighteen more minutes pass weighing pros and cons before he angrily stumbled from his chair, deciding, “If I spend all night debating back and forth I won’t sleep anyway!” So, he riffled around for a pen and paper, stormed up to the surface world, and did what he never would have done had he been in full capacity: He sent a letter to Sportacus. 

Written on purple stationary, it said simply: “I can’t sleep. You said I could tell you. - RR” 

Robbie fumbled for a bit trying to get the letter in the tube, and then pulled on the lever… which didn’t budge. So he pulled harder. And it didn’t budge. So he all but climbed onto the thing, leaning with his full weight… and it slid like butter, spilling Robbie onto the cold ground. He yelped and grumbled, scrambling away from the thing and crossing his arms. “I meant to do that,” he insisted to no one. He watched his letter fly into the air then disappear into the cloud cover with a scowl on his face. A minute passed. He leaned against the mailbox and rubbed his eyes tiredly.

_Does Sportacus even stay over LazyTown at night? …He probably didn’t mean what he said to me. He’s just - eugh - nice, and didn’t think I’d ever be stupid enough to send him a stupid letter so he told me he wouldn’t mind if I did. He won’t even get it. Any second now the capsule will fall back down and, with my luck, hit me in the head. I should just go home._

Robbie’s insecure sulking was interrupted by the soft unraveling of that familiar white ladder. Nervousness bloomed in his stomach as he looked up, bleary eyed. _He really did come. I guess I missed my window of escape._ Perhaps it was the lateness of the hour, but Sportacus climbed down the ladder surprisingly normally. Robbie raised an eyebrow at that, but then Sportacus turned and said in his normal peppy tone, “Hi, Robbie! I got your letter.” 

“…Yes.” 

Sportacus was silent, seeming like he expected Robbie to say more. 

“So?!” he spat, feeling embarrassed.

“Well, um. I’m glad you sent it,” Sportacus confessed. “Why are you sitting down? Did I keep you waiting long?” 

“…Nevermind that,” Robbie muttered, remembering his ungraceful fall and pulling his knees up to his chest. Again, Sportacus seemed to be waiting on him to continue. When he did not, Sportacus sat beside him. 

“How long have you been up?” he asked quietly. 

“…since yesterday, about three,” Robbie replied after some thought. 

Sportacus gasped, though tried to muffle his shock.  
 “That’s nothing,” Robbie said harshly, rolling his eyes, but upon meeting Sportacus’ the concern on his face jolted him out of his scowl. He looked so… honest. _Like he cares about me._ Robbie swallowed, a little uncomfortable. He wanted to apologize for grumbling, but, he was a villain and villains didn’t apologize. _Nor should they be feeling like they should!_ he berated himself, breaking eye contact. 

“No wonder you’re tired,” Sportacus murmured, then yawned. “Er, whoops.” 

Robbie turned away, pouting at that. “I knew I shouldn’t’ve woken you up.”  
 “No, no! It’s fine… I want to help. Is there anything that helps you fall asleep?”

Robbie pulled a face, rolling his eyes again (all of which was wasted as he still faced away from Sportacus). “Don’t you think I would’ve tried that by now?” 

“Is there anything that another person could do?” Sportacus corrected himself. 

Robbie huffed, glaring a bit over his shoulder. “When would I have been with another person while falling asleep to know at all? I don’t spend time with other people like you, Sportakook.” 

Sportacus looked at him like that again, but this time that disgusting concern and care was mixed with a little bit of hurt and Robbie had to turn back around and literally bite his tongue to keep from taking it all back. _What is coming over me?!_

“I know you’re really tired, but… I’m trying to help, Robbie.” 

Robbie felt his ears heat a bit with shame at his behavior. “…what helps _you_ fall asleep?” he asked. 

“Well… I usually fall asleep right away. I think it’s because I’m active all day… like when I’m dancing to music!” Robbie moved to interrupt that he was here for _help_ , not a _lecture_ , and if that’s what Sportacus was offering he could get up and go, but then Sportacus continued, “but I know you don’t like, well, moving all that much. But… maybe the music part could help?”

Robbie blinked. It didn’t make perfect sense but it was thoughtful. “…Okay.” 

“Most of our LazyTown songs are too upbeat for sleeping… hmm! I know this nice one that’s even about sleep!” 

_Wait… wait… is Sportaflop going to sing?!_ Robbie wasn’t sure how he felt about that. Even now, he seemed almost as energetic as he did during the day. He couldn’t imagine Sportacus singing a… a _lullaby._

“Is it okay if I sing it?” Sportacus asked, trying to make eye contact with Robbie. 

“Whatever. I guess it’s worth a shot.” Robbie replied, trying not to betray his curiosity. 

Sportacus shuffled a bit. Robbie wondered if he was nervous. Then, he began to sing. 

“When I'm worried and I can't sleep  
I count my blessings instead of sheep  
And I fall asleep  
Counting my blessings…” 

Robbie wasn’t looking at him at first, but Sportacus’ voice drew him in. He wasn’t a perfect singer, but his voice was warm and he sang with emotion. Robbie couldn’t help but turn to stare at him. Sportacus did seem a bit nervous - he kept his eyes on the ground through the first verse, then glanced up. 

“Is that okay? Did you like it?”

Robbie didn’t want to answer (because the answer was undoubtably ‘yes’), so he instead asked, “Is there more to the song?” 

“Well, yeah!” Sportacus said, smiling. He continued,

“When my bankroll is getting small  
I think of when I had none at all  
And I fall asleep  
Counting my blessings.” 

Robbie stayed in his place against the mailbox, thinking during the slow words of the song that it was actually working. His eyes were drooping and he felt the peacefulness that accompanies impending sleep. There was the slight problem that now he wanted to stay awake to hear Sportacus sing… but he was losing that battle. 

Sportacus sang another line - “I think about a nursery and I picture curly heads, and one by one I count them as they slumber in their beds” - before noticing Robbie was almost asleep. 

“Oh!” he said softly. He didn’t want to wake Robbie up by addressing the situation. He thought for a moment before gently picking him up. Robbie started at that, wanting to protest, but Sportacus shushed him softly and continued on to the last verse. 

“If you're worried and you can't sleep  
Just count your blessings instead of sheep  
And you'll fall asleep  
Counting your blessings.”

Sportacus smiled, seeing Robbie was completely asleep in his arms. Even, as he did when he was very comfortable, sucking his thumb. He took him the rest of the way home and gently placed him in his chair, leaving as quietly as he could. 

_________

The next day, in what was early afternoon but probably just after Robbie woke up, Sportacus got a letter on that same purple stationary that just said “Thank you.”


End file.
